Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Honest six-year-old Rusinol ended a losing sequence of 49 when he set the tone for an evening of upsets at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night by finishing with a spirited burst to win the 2130m Jeavons Racing Slot Holder Pace.
Only one favourite (Golden Lode at $1.04) was successful on the nine-event program when seven of the winners were at handsome odds, Rusinol ($38.30), Relatively Arma ($15.40), Acoltnamedsu ($17.70), Priddah ($26.20), Montego ($10.80), Rockability ($10.10) and Our Musical Motion ($38.10).
The results also debunked the popular theory that Gloucester Park is purely a frontrunners track. Only two pacers (Relatively Arma and Rockability) were able to lead and win.
Rusinol was restrained from the No. 4 barrier and was eighth at the bell before Trent Wheeler brought him home with a well-timed burst to take the lead 30m from the post and win by a half-length from Ciao Babe.
Rusinol, purchased for $16,000 at the 2019 Perth APG yearling sale, is raced by Amanda Anderson and Ken Casellas. He now has had 89 starts for six wins, 31 placings and $53,773, as well as several more thousands of dollars in bonuses he earned as a two and three-year-old.
Rusinol was named by Casellas after his favourite Spanish artist Santiago Rusinol, who also was a renowned poet and journalist, who died in June 1931 aged 70. The Barcelona-born Rusinol was a mentor of the famous artist Pablo Picasso.
The pacer Rusinol is by the American sire Rock N Roll Heaven and is the first foal out of the unraced Parsons Den mare Royal Combination, whose full-brother James Matthew was a champion youngster who raced 17 times for 12 wins, three placings and $240,981 before his untimely death as a three-year-old.
Tuesday night’s meeting ended in memorable fashion with 24-year-old Collie postman Ashley Shepherd celebrating his first winner at his first meeting in the sulky at Gloucester Park with a flamboyant victory salute as he brought the rank outsider Our Musical Motion home with a powerful burst from the rear to beat the odds-on favourite Lady Violetta.